Just got back from seeing this. All I can say is that while The Avengers was the largest spectacle of the MCU, CA:TWS might just be the best movie. They weren't kidding when they said we'd be getting The Avengers 1.5. It's kind've crazy thinking back to all the questions raised when the Russos were brought aboard as the directors, given their lack of big budget film experience. But boy did they go for it. They took all the right risks.

I can't find a thing to complain about, other than once again the guy running the projection in the theater needs to understand you have to turn up the brightness on a 3-D film, otherwise darker scenes are hard to focus on due to the tint of the glasses. Is it really that hard?

The fighting staged in this one is something every MCU director from here on out should stand and take notice. That is how you maximize a character's talents. All the other films feel like they had diapers on compared to it. I just couldn't get enough of the Cap/Bucky actions sequences, especially the CLLLLLLANG of the shield and fist meeting. Bucky was a primo protagonist. Kudos to the Russos for not letting him become a victim of needing the hero to shine. The score they played in his scenes was the perfect compliment too .... so eery. I don't understand some of the insistence that he only spoke a couple words in the movie. There was more than that.

I stand by my comments about what a smart decision it was to integrate SHIELD heavily into this film. It made the adventure just so much bigger and I don't think it plays this well without it. Everyone had great moments and nobody felt like a wasted character. We got to learn more about who Fury and Widow are as people. I absolutely loved the espionage, double crossing, and SHIELD rotting from the inside by ways of Hyrda. I honestly wasn't the biggest Anthony Mackie fan .... but he's really grown on me ever since Pain & Gain and now this film. I enjoyed his portrayal of The Falcon very much.

The best thing about this movie is how it's able to tug on sentimental strings. CA:TFA arguably suffered because of it needing to usher Cap into The Avengers so quickly. Other than the Red Skull being a casualty, the decision in hindsight has turned out like a blessing. We got to get in touch with Cap's past and everything that makes him so alone in the world today ..... from the base in Wheaton where he trained, Hydra, to Bucky moving him into his place, and to visiting Peggy Carter afflicted with Alzheimer's. There were just so many more emotional beats there than the standard comic book film. That's something I'm RARELY ever able to say when it comes to these movies. Steve's and Bucky's fight at the end was more than just hand-to-hand combat. It was nearly a sacrifice, so as not to have to suffer from killing his childhood friend. The part when Cap said to him, "I'm with you to the end of the line" really hit me.

The Arnim Zola thing caught me by complete surprise. I almost spoiled it for myself scouring these reviews the past few days. I dunno how I didn't recognize the camera unit when Cap and BW stepped up to that old computer setup. It was just so creepy in all the right ways .... especially when he started connecting the Hydra dots. You can also see where the seeds of Ultron have been laid. Loved BW's wisecrack and homage to the movie "War Games." My sister and I were the only people laughing at that though as most of the crowd was too young to understand the reference of an 80's Matthew Broderick movie.

I can't say enough about this movie. It was fun. It was intense. It was sentimental. It hit on all the right marks for me. Usually these CBM's lack in one of those departments, but make up for it in others and spectacle.

I never do this, but I'm giving it a 10. I apologize if I end up editing this a few times ..... tends to happen as my mind percolates with everything I just watched.